The present invention relates to an element or a module for an absorption chiller/absorption chiller-heater (having a low temperature shell and a high temperature regenerator or the like formed in one body), and an absorption chiller/absorption chiller-heater comprising a plurality of the elements. More particularly, the invention relates to an element for an absorption chiller/absorption chiller-heater, and an absorption chiller/absorption chiller-heater comprising the elements, being made slim and compact by greatly reducing the machine width of the elements, so that it is easy to transport without dividing the element, and easy to enlarge in scale by supplying a plurality of elements parallel in the lateral direction, or supplying them in the lateral direction and stacking them in the vertical direction.
Hitherto an absorption chiller-heater is generally known which uses, for example, lithium bromide as an absorbent, and, for example, water as a refrigerant.
A conventional absorption chiller-heater is composed, for example, as shown in FIG. 1. Numeral 1 denotes an upper low temperature shell, comprising a low temperature regenerator 2 and a condenser 3. A refrigerant sump 4 is installed in the lower part in the condenser 3. Numeral 5 denotes a lower low temperature shell, comprising an evaporator 6 and an absorber 7. Numeral 8 is a high temperature regenerator, comprising a combustion chamber 9, heat recovery unit 10, gas-liquid separator 11, exhaust tube 12 and combustion unit 13. Other constituent devices include a low temperature heat exchanger 14 and a high temperature heat exchanger 15.
A weak solution in a liquid sump 16 in the lower part of the absorber 7 is sent by a low temperature pump 17 to the low temperature regenerator 2 through ducts 18, 19, low temperature heat exchanger 14 and duct 20. This weak solution is heated by the high temperature refrigerant vapor flowing in from the duct 21, and is concentrated to a middle solution.
The middle solution is divided in two portions. One of the two portions of the solution is sent to the high temperature regenerator 8 by a high temperature pump 22 through ducts 23, 24, high temperature heat exchanger 15 and duct 25. This middle solution is heated by the combustion unit 13, and moves up in the heat recovery unit 10 and enters the gas-liquid separator 11 to be separated into the refrigerant vapor and strong solution. The strong solution is mixed with the middle solution (the other one of the two portions of the solution) from the duct 28 divided first through strong solution duct 26, high temperature heat exchanger 15 and duct 27, by the differential pressure of about 650 mmHg of the pressure in the high temperature regenerator 8 and the pressure of about 6 mmHg in the lower low temperature shell 5, and the mixed strong solution enters the low temperature heat exchanger 14, and passes through a duct 29. The mixed strong solution is sprayed over the heating tubes (heat transfer tubes) of the absorber 7 by a sprinkler (sprayer) 30, and then returns to the liquid sump 16 in a circulating loop.
On the other hand, the refrigerant vapor separated in the gas-liquid separator 11 enters the low temperature regenerator 2 through the duct 21, and heats the solution, and condenses and liquefies, and gets into the condenser 3 through a duct 46. In the low temperature regenerator 2, the refrigerant vapor generated when the weak solution is concentrated to a middle solution gets into the condenser 3 from the upper space and is condensed to a liquid refrigerant. The condensed refrigerant gets into the evaporator 6 through a duct 31, and is collected in the lower sump 32. The refrigerant is sprayed over the heating tubes of the evaporator 6 by the sprinkler 36 through ducts 34, 35.
Chilled water presented for air cooling (air conditioning) enters the evaporator 6 from a duct 37, and is cooled by the evaporation latent heat of the dripping refrigerant, and flows out from the duct 38. The cooling water flows out through ducts 39, 40, 41, deprives the absorber 7 of absorption heat and the condenser 3 of condensation heat on the way and is brought out of the system.
Besides, by opening the chiller-heater changeover valve 60 and stopping the cooling water supplied to the duct 39, warm water (hot water) can be obtained from the duct 38.
Thus, in the conventional absorption chiller or absorption chiller-heater, inside the cylindrical lower low temperature shell 5, the evaporator 6 and absorber 7 are disposed in the lateral direction, while the condenser 3 and low temperature regenerator 2 are disposed in the upper low temperature shell 1 which is separate from the lower low temperature shell 5.
Accordingly, the machine width is large, and in the case of large-capacity machines, especially, when transporting them on a trailer or the like, it was necessary to divide the low temperature shell and high temperature regenerator 8, and separate into the lower low temperature shell 5 and upper low temperature shell 1. The low temperature shells (upper+lower) and high temperature regenerator, and the lower low temperature shell 5 and upper low temperature shell 1 are connected with each other by vacuum piping, and it was necessary to cut them separately for transport, reassemble them at the site, weld, and check them by vacuum test, all of which are required tremendous cost in cutting, welding, transportation of vacuum test apparatus, and performance of vacuum test. Besides, because of the large machine width, it was difficult to deliver it into the machine room in the field.
Since the machine was huge in the prior art as described herein, especially in the case of a large-capacity machine, it was necessary to separate it into the low temperature shells (upper+lower) and high temperature regenerator, or, as the case may be, into the upper low temperature shell, lower low temperature shell, and high temperature regenerator.